Vending Machine

The task at hand

For our Interactive Design class, we (a team of two) had to choose a movie and design a vending machine with an interaction concept that could realistically exist inside that movie’s universe. We chose Doctor Strange and designed the interaction around magic spell-casting, so selecting an item feels like performing a short ritual rather than using a normal menu.

Interaction concept

We decided to create a 5×5 matrix of lasers and photoresistors to emulate the spell casting style interaction from the Doctor Strange movies. For feedback, we added a 5×5 LED matrix so the user could see their input in real time. We programmed several patterns inspired by Nordic runes, which loop on the LED matrix to demonstrate how to enter them, and we also painted these rune prompts on the front panel as a quick visual reminder.

Product delivery

After one of the correct patterns is entered, a short animation plays and an iris latch at the top opens. Then a lift, powered by two stepper motors, pushes a Monster can out of the machine. Even though there are several valid patterns, the dispensed drink is always the same.

End result

We packaged the entire system inside a laser-cut wooden box, keeping the build clean and self-contained. The photoresistors were calibrated for the room’s lighting to get the best sensitivity, and the motors were tuned to push the drink out reliably. We also added extra LEDs around the iris, so it feels more like a portal opening after a code is entered, plus a glowing green eye medallion on the side as a finishing detail. Overall, this project was genuinely fun to build, and I’m happy with how it turned out.

Pictures